Mission Accomplished, or not?

France ends its military presence in Mali. What is next?

Malian Soldiers during Operation Barkhane foiling an attack. Source: @war_noir from Twitter

On August 15th, 2022, France withdrew its last troops from Mali. Ironically, this took place on the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, after the Coalition left Afghanistan. France has been present in Mali since 2013, when it sent military personnel to fight against terrorist groups. Since then, Paris has been helping Bamako in the fight against jihadists. France also withdrew from MINUSMA, the United Nations Mission for Mali.

Channel Africa @channelafrica1

The last French army unit left Mali this Monday, according to a statement from the French military, nine years after Paris sent troops to the West African country to help drive Islamic extremists from power. | 🔗 bit.ly/3dzhJOk #ChannelAfrica

President Emmanuel Macron threatened back in 2021 to withdraw troops from Mali if power was not handed over to civilians, after several coups. The withdrawal comes amidst tensions between Paris and the Malian military junta, and after Germany resumed flights in the African country, following the suspension of those more than a week ago. On the other hand, the military junta has been warming relationships with Russia, thanks to the Wagner Group. The mercenary company will now replace Paris as a partner for Bamako to fight jihadist groups. German troops claim to have spotted Russians in the Gao airport, in northern Mali.

“Today, at 13:00 (Paris Time), the last military unit of the Barkhane force present in Malian territory crossed the Malian-Nigerien border”,

stated the French Defense Ministry.

Armée française - Opérations militaires @EtatMajorFR

#Barkhane | Ce jour, les derniers militaires de @BARKHANE_OP présents sur le sol malien ont franchi la frontière entre le Mali et le Niger. Ils provenaient de la plateforme opérationnelle désert de Gao, désormais transférée aux Forces armées Maliennes.

This is not a full withdrawal. The French Troops are now deployed in Niger. Niamey will now host one thousand French soldiers, along with fighting jets, drones and helicopters. Paris will now send between 300 and 400 troops for special operations with the Nigerien troops in the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali. Other 700-1000 troops will be in Chad, as well as an unknown number of Special Forces will be in other parts of the region. Macron still claims to be committed to fight terrorism in West Africa.

Caleb Weiss @caleb_weiss7

Amaq News has released its first combat footage from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The video reportedly shows an ambush on French troops on the borders of #Mali and #Niger.

The French withdrawal has sparked fears in the region. It is thought that now jihadist groups will spread to nearby countries. Benin, Ivory Coast and Togo have already experienced terrorist attacks. Also, it remains to be seen how effective will the Wagner Group be in the fight against the terrorist groups and stabilizing the country.

Guillermo is a journalist, writer and independent international analyst. If you like what you read, please support him by donating:

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